As the country gets ready for next year’s General elections, there is an ongoing broad day light thuggery at the headquarters of opposition outgit- National Unity Platform (NUP) disguised as a fundraiser for the group’s campaigns ahead of next year’s general elections.
Recently, the party’s top leadership headed by Party President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu launched the sham fundraiser where men and women, especially those seeking the party’s endorsement for the different positions especially Member of Parliament were literally held at ransom through exorbitant, extortionate contributions which will most certainly do little other than sustaining the top executives’ expensive party after party lifestyles in Europe and elsewhere.
At the much attention grabbing launch at Kavule, MPs could be seen dragging their feet as the “Pulinsipo” eagle gazed at each one of them devilishly, potentially warning them they wouldn’t go any far in pursuit of something so dear unless they loosened their purses. At Kamwokya, the group has consistently been accused of selling their party endorsements exceedingly expensively and to the highest bidder. With such allegations tainting the images of Kavule’s top men and women for the last five years, it wasn’t until recently that Mr Wine hinted on probing the allegations, with big brother, Fred Nyanzi conspicuously mentioned in the saga.
Just as doubts continue to linger regarding the honesty to hold the culprits accountable, the new methodology of resource mobilization literally rises more questions than it attempts to answer.
Just as the country continue pondering about what could be done to put brakes to this broadly day robbery of the unsuspecting poor citizens of this country, it has since emerged that that there is a law that puts a Shillings 400 million ceiling on any such fundraiser.
This is some kind of relief to the gullible foot soldiers whose leadership will strive to convince that what the law is doing is an injustice. Nonetheless, it’s, after all, an obligation of the government to shield its people against cons like this.
At the same time, the government is contemplating withholding funding to NUP for their boycott of the IPOD platform. A whooping Shillings 45 billion was available for distribution among the parties with parliamentary representation with NRM and NUP due for a lion’s share because of their numerical superiority in Parliament.
Under the new amendment to the Political Partied and Organisation’s Act, such will only be available to PPP, JEEMA, DP, NRM, and DP. This has perhaps scaled up on the appetite for money for the politically crucial phase of this election cycle.
It, thus,makes no sense looking on as the group ignores legitimate sources in favor of questionable avenues at the chagrin of the population.
The office of the Inspector General of Government (IGG), with the mandate to probe such illicit acquisitions of money, should pounce hard and quick, force the group into compliance by freezing the accounts into which these contributions are being deposited.
There have since emerged reports that one of the mobile money accounts into which unsuspecting members have been depositing the money has been disconnected.
This is according to a senior NUP official who points an accusing finger on “orders from above.” This, if true, would be a move in the right direction and a boost in the capacity of the government to protect its people from unscrupulous people in the guise of democracy.
The writer is the Deputy Resident City Commissioner for Nakawa City Division of Kampala
